Kohl’s makes a move to attract holiday shoppers: The retailer is expanding same-day in-store pickup options to all locations, but the move likely won’t be enough to reverse its slide.

Digitally native brands focus on physical expansion, but costs are mounting: Allbirds, Warby Parker, and Glossier are shedding workers and expanding retail partnerships to grow sales and stay afloat.

Inflation eased slightly in July, but consumers still feel the pinch: Gas prices are falling, but steadily rising food prices are eroding shoppers’ buying power.

Discount stores ranked among the fastest-growing retailers in the US last year: But low prices, not customer loyalty, is driving that growth.

Retailers enhance their rewards programs as inflation shifts consumer spend: But that’s easier said than done, as overly complex rewards can steer away customers rather than encourage their loyalty.

Record-low warehouse vacancy rates add to retailers’ woes: Companies face an inventory pileup as they struggle to offload existing items before holiday shipments come in.

Consumer spending on travel soars in Q2: That’s why companies like Airbnb and American Airlines are far more bullish than retailers about their outlooks for the rest of the year.

Amazon lets shoppers get products delivered from nearby stores: The new program offers another benefit to Prime members at the same time it weaves other retailers into the Amazon ecosystem.

Even an ecommerce slowdown isn’t enough to break Amazon’s stride: The company reported strong sales and ad growth as it leans harder on Prime Day to drive momentum.

The economy looks very different to high-income consumers: Luxury sales continue to soar, while lower-income shoppers rethink their priorities.

There are fewer retail vacancies than any time in 10 years: Retailers are testing new formats and expanding their physical presences to be closer to where consumers live and shop.

Walmart’s profit warning signals tough times ahead for retailers: But Unilever and The Coca-Cola Co. reported strong earnings due to higher prices as CPGs continue to thrive.

Hasbro and Mattel are optimistic about the future: The resiliency of the toy category coupled with strong IP properties should keep both companies in the green, even in the event of a recession.

Stores are Target’s not-so-secret weapon: The retailer adds three new sortation centers to bolster its ecommerce strategy of using stores to handle online orders.

Macy’s, Nordstrom bet on smaller stores as shoppers move away from malls: Department stores are taking a localized approach to reach more consumers and speed up fulfillment.

Retailers embrace unconventional returns tactics: While some like Boohoo are charging fees to offset costs, other methods like UGC content and peer-to-peer returns are gaining steam.

Shopify broadens the services it offers merchants: It partnered with YouTube to allow creators and merchants to sell products on their channels and bolstered its logistics platform by buying Deliverr.

Pinterest wants to be more than just shopping inspiration: The platform’s evolution into a full-funnel commerce app has caught the interest of activist investor Elliott Management.

Supply chain issues have eased back from their pandemic peaks: But there are plenty of challenges ahead and slowing consumer demand could lead to a new issue: inventory pileups.